The water-based resist stripping liquid management apparatus according to the present invention manages in an adjusting bath a water-based resist stripping liquid that is used in resist stripping equipment. In this apparatus, an absorptiometer that measures the water concentration in the water-based resist stripping liquid and an electrical conductivity meter that measures the degraded component concentration in the water-based resist stripping liquid are connected to a resist stripping treatment bath (adjusting bath) via pipelines, and at least one of a resist stripping stock liquid, a resist stripping reclaimed liquid, pure water, and a premixed resist stripping new liquid are fed into the resist stripping treatment bath in accordance with the measurement values obtained. As a result, the resist stripping performance of the water-based resist stripping liquid can be stably maintained, the amount of liquid used can be reduced, and the time for which operation is shut down can be reduced.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A water-based resist stripping liquid management method of managing a water-based resist stripping liquid in an adjusting bath that is used in resist stripping equipment, wherein the water concentration of the water-based resist stripping liquid changes due to the evaporation of water, the method comprising: measuring a water concentration in the water-based resist stripping liquid in said adjusting bath, wherein the water concentration is obtained from a measured absorbance of the water-based resist stripping liquid in said adjusting bath and a calibration curve for relating the absorbance to the water concentration; measuring the concentration of a degraded component in the water-based resist stripping liquid in said adjusting bath, wherein the concentration of the degraded component is obtained from a measured electrical conductivity of the water-based resist stripping liquid in said adjusting bath and a calibration curve for relating the electrical conductivity to the concentration of the degraded component; feeding into said adjusting bath at least one of a fresh water-based resist stripping liquid, a reclaimed water-based resist stripping reclaimed liquid, and pure water; and controlling the amount of liquid fed into said adjusting bath in accordance with the measured degraded component concentration and the measured water concentration, wherein the wavelength of the measured absorbance is about 1940 nm.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 25, 2002
September 19, 2006
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